During the IDS portion of our Level 10 Meeting, our leadership team members get defensive and shut down when we try to dig into the root causes of failure. How do we break through this defensive barrier to get to the real issue?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

Defensiveness during IDS® is a clear sign that your team lacks trust and is prioritizing self-preservation over solving problems. When a leader feels attacked, they will hide the truth, which ensures the same systemic operational issues will keep repeating.

To break this barrier, you must shift the focus from the person to the seat on the Accountability Chart. When an issue arises, the question is not what did you do wrong. The question is what is broken in the process or the system that allowed this to happen. Frame the issue as an obstacle to achieving the company vision on your V/TO®, not as a personal failure.

The Integrator must actively set this tone. Start by establishing that a healthy organization identifies issues to solve them, not to punish people. Use the phrase clarify, do not debate. In the Identify phase of IDS®, ask open-ended questions like what is the real problem here and why is this happening. Do not allow team members to jump to solutions until everyone agrees on the root cause.

If a team member remains highly defensive, the Integrator must address this offline. Use the People Analyzer™ to evaluate if they truly exhibit your core values and possess the GWC™ for their seat. A leader who cannot handle constructive conflict and accountability does not belong in a leadership seat. True traction requires a team willing to put the company first and look in the mirror without fear.